Maggette says he could be willing to take pay cut to come to Boston

[get_banners]

i think its us, orlando, or the spurs. we're the best team of the 3. the spurs are sort of on the decline, though maggette would keep their window open a little longer. the magic are on the upswing. we're the kings of the jungle, and maggette would give us probably a 3-5 year window to win titles with this crew, as opposed to just 2 or 3 more years. he really can't go wrong with any of these teams, though i think if he's all about winning, us and orlando are better options than the spurs, though san antonio can give him more minutes - probably.

[Vermont Green]

Agreed.  The Celtics just won the championship.  Without Posey they would not have won it.  This is not brain surgery.  What are they thinking?  Is management so used to being in perpetual rebuilding mode that the only offseason mindset is "change it up"?  Hello, you built a championship team!  It worked!  This group of guys worked together!  Don't change it!!!  Grrrrr...

I think this is over-simplified.  You could say that we wouldn't have one the championship with House, BBD, Powe, any of them, even Cassell or PJ.  All of these guys made some contribution but there is always another player that could make the same or even greater contribution.  Posey is a great guy and make a fine contribution to the team but he is a bench player.  There are some things that he can do that Maggette can't.  For example, Posey can cover smaller big men (kind of the opposite of jumbo shrimp, RIP George) better than Maggette but there are match-ups that Maggette could handle that Posey couldn't.

I hate to see Posey go and I understand there is an emotional fan side to this but I don't think we are taking a step backwards if we lose Posey but gain Maggette.

[Jughead]

I can't agree with Holley's thinking here.  While Posey may be looking for a longer term deal for the full MLE, if Maggette were to accept the MLE at age 28 then he is more likely looking for a short term deal to get the ring and then vault himself into a huge contract as a result of the increased exposure.  If he's that motivated to get a ring then I would think he'd take a 1-2 year deal for the full MLE, but if Danny can get him to agree to a 3 year deal then I would be ecstatic.  Maggette coming off the books in 3 years would have him in Boston until Pierce's contract is up and help transition through that year without Ray Allen around (provided he doesn't re-sign on the cheap)...

[BCelts]

Money isn't a problem now if we want to get Maggette (as the Clippers are the only team able to offer him more than the MLE). It's the minutes. He would instantly be the starter on the Spurs and Lakers, but would only be a backup here. But I agree with another poster, if you cut down their minutes to 30-32 MPG, Maggette could very well play more than 25 minutes, which is still 10 minutes short of what we would get on teams where he would be the starter.

BUT, we would expect him to be a scorer off the bench, basically the primary option, which I think he definitely likes. In addition, he would be going to the World Champions who rely on his services, which would be a confidence booster, and also he would have the best chance at winning the title. He said he felt like it was an honor that the C's called him. So we'll see.

If the two options are signing either Maggette or Posey to the full MLE with 4 or more years years, you definitely have to go with Maggette, who would only be 32 at the end of this contract, compared to Posey, who is 32 in January 2009. That factor alone wouldn't let me think twice.

I don't think Maggette would start on the Spurs, unless they decide to use Manu as a pusdo 6th man again.  Bowen still starts to be the defensive guy on the other team's best scorer.  If Manu starts, Maggette is off the bench.  Having said that, the Spurs rotation probably offers Maggette more minutes.  The Celtics have a better chance of winning the title, and the minutes will not be THAT different. 

Choosing between the two, I don't care as much about age.  We are trying to win next year; our window is limited.  Posey is a better defender and can play the 4.  I'd keep Posey for those reasons plus his catch and shoot ability and intangibles.

(edited for accuracy)

[D Dub]

I can't agree with Holley's thinking here.  While Posey may be looking for a longer term deal for the full MLE, if Maggette were to accept the MLE at age 28 then he is more likely looking for a short term deal to get the ring and then vault himself into a huge contract as a result of the increased exposure.  If he's that motivated to get a ring then I would think he'd take a 1-2 year deal for the full MLE, but if Danny can get him to agree to a 3 year deal then I would be ecstatic.  Maggette coming off the books in 3 years would have him in Boston until Pierce's contract is up and help transition through that year without Ray Allen around (provided he doesn't re-sign on the cheap)...

I agree.  If he is going to take a paycut to win a ring, there is no reason to commit long term to being under paid.

I bet Ainge is saying to Posey's agent right now, 'Look, Corey Maggette is willing to take the MLE for short years, why won't your client do the same?'

Hopefully this is the leverage we need to convice James to come back for 2 or 3 years at full MLE, instead of the 4-5 years he really wants.  Thing is, with all the other suiters, if Ainge doesn't blink and give him 4yrs - we will likely lose Posey.  At his age, he has to cash in a longer deal right now.  

[cordobes]

I can't agree with Holley's thinking here.  While Posey may be looking for a longer term deal for the full MLE, if Maggette were to accept the MLE at age 28 then he is more likely looking for a short term deal to get the ring and then vault himself into a huge contract as a result of the increased exposure.  If he's that motivated to get a ring then I would think he'd take a 1-2 year deal for the full MLE, but if Danny can get him to agree to a 3 year deal then I would be ecstatic.  Maggette coming off the books in 3 years would have him in Boston until Pierce's contract is up and help transition through that year without Ray Allen around (provided he doesn't re-sign on the cheap)...

I agree.  If he is going to take a paycut to win a ring, there is no reason to commit long term to being under paid.

I bet Ainge is saying to Posey's agent right now, 'Look, Corey Maggette is willing to take the MLE for short years, why won't your client do the same?'

Hopefully this is the leverage we need to convice James to come back for 2 or 3 years at full MLE, instead of the 4-5 years he really wants.  Thing is, with all the other suiters, if Ainge doesn't blink and give him 4yrs - we will likely lose Posey.  At his age, he has to cash in a longer deal right now. 

Maggette is 29, Posey is 31. Posey will never be more than a MLE player, Maggette would probably get above MLE offers if the salary situation of a couple of teams was different (that's why he opted out; it was a miscalculation because Davis also opted out and he can't use the S&T option anymore). There's why Posey is looking for a long MLE deal and Maggette a short one.

[slamdunk]

Check out the contract situation with regards to Joe Smith and Kevin McHale...

Can't make promises about future contracts.

But the Smith/T-wolves situation involved a written deal. It seems unlikely there would be a problem with a verbal agreement to give CM a bigger deal after Allen leaves.

http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2000/1025/837930.html
 "The fact is, we gave this a lot more thought than the parties in the Minnesota franchise who risked their future by engaging in one of the most far-reaching frauds we've seen," Stern said.

"This was a fraud of major proportions. There were no fewer than five undisclosed contracts tucked away, hoping they'd never see the light of day. This is fraud that ripped to the heart of the (collective bargaining) compact. The magnitude of this stuff is shocking."

[yupitsme]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9329

Report: Maggette Off the Market?

No player has been more sought after or talked about this summer than Corey Maggette. Most of the teams who feel they have a legitimate shot at winning a title in the near future have talked about him being the missing piece that would put them over the top. The Orlando Magic were the most recent team to make a play, but teams like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio have also been hot on his trail.

According to multiple reports this morning Maggette will, indeed, wind up in the Texas Triangle, and he could very well turn out to be the piece that gets his new team a championship. If all goes according to plan, Maggette will finally join the San Antonio Spurs, who were very much in love with him a couple of seasons ago when his last contract came up.

Maggette was not completely against returning to the Clippers, but behind closed doors it seems there was a mutual understanding that splitting the sheets was the best move. LA's move to steal Baron Davis away from the Golden State Warriors was the final indicator that Maggette's days in LA are finished.

For now, Spurs fans can start to think about Finals tickets once again . . .and get in line for your Corey Maggette jersey.

It won't be #50.

[rondohondo]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9329

Report: Maggette Off the Market?

No player has been more sought after or talked about this summer than Corey Maggette. Most of the teams who feel they have a legitimate shot at winning a title in the near future have talked about him being the missing piece that would put them over the top. The Orlando Magic were the most recent team to make a play, but teams like Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio have also been hot on his trail.

According to multiple reports this morning Maggette will, indeed, wind up in the Texas Triangle, and he could very well turn out to be the piece that gets his new team a championship. If all goes according to plan, Maggette will finally join the San Antonio Spurs, who were very much in love with him a couple of seasons ago when his last contract came up.

Maggette was not completely against returning to the Clippers, but behind closed doors it seems there was a mutual understanding that splitting the sheets was the best move. LA's move to steal Baron Davis away from the Golden State Warriors was the final indicator that Maggette's days in LA are finished.

For now, Spurs fans can start to think about Finals tickets once again . . .and get in line for your Corey Maggette jersey.

It won't be #50.

Well we better hope Posey comes back now or else it's going to be Pietrus, Barnes or Ricky IMO

[BudweiserCeltic]

New article for The Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/04/rivers_gives_maggette_call/

By Marc J. Spears
Globe Staff / July 4, 2008
A day after talking with Celtics coach Doc Rivers, a longtime family friend, Clippers free agent forward Corey Maggette said he is seriously considering an offer to join the NBA champions.

Maggette said he is still in awe about being contacted by the Celtics and has been mulling over their contract offer as well as interest from several other teams.

An NBA source said the Celtics offered Magette the full midlevel exception, expected to be worth $5.8 million.

The Celtics have made offers to their own forward, James Posey, and Maggette, but it's doubtful they can accommodate both. While there is no news regarding Posey, Maggette said he could be coming to Boston in the near future to visit with the Celtics. Free agents can't sign until Wednesday.

"I don't want to hold the Celtics up or [general manager] Danny Ainge," said Maggette in a telephone interview. "I talked to Doc . . . I'm not going to hold them up. I know they are still looking at James Posey. But I'm still weighing my options."

Maggette averaged a team-best 22.1 points as well as 5.6 rebounds for the Clippers last season. The 6-foot-6-inch, 228-pounder played for Rivers in Orlando during the 1999-2000 season.

Maggette said Rivers, his fellow Chicago native, called Wednesday.

"We shot the breeze," said Maggette. "He asked about my family. My mom went to the same high school [as Rivers]. My family has known his family for a long time. I'm very comfortable with him."

Even with Maggette's scoring ability, he would be expected to come off the bench with Boston behind All-Star wing players Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Maggette said he would have no problems with a reserve role.

"I don't mind," he said. "If you want to win, you have to make sacrifices. With their caliber of players, that's what you have to do.

"Going to a championship team would be exciting to me. Going to a team that can win and has tradition is exciting."

The Clippers aren't expected to re-sign Maggette after they landed free agent guard Baron Davis Tuesday with a five-year, $65 million contract. But if Golden State gets Clippers free agent forward Elton Brand, the Clippers could have a change of heart regarding Maggette. Clippers owner Donald Sterling is a big fan of Maggette. Other teams interested in Maggette include the Spurs, 76ers, Warriors, Hornets, Magic, Jazz, and Cavaliers.

As for the Clippers' situation, Maggette said, "I'll know soon. If not, that's the nature of the business and I'll move on. If not, I'll definitely want to call to thank [Clippers] coach Mike Dunleavy and [GM] Elgin Baylor and let them know I appreciated my eight years there."

Maggette was a teammate of Celtics free agent guard Sam Cassell with the Clippers from 2005-08. They recently shared some Celtics talk.

"He said to come out to get a ring," Maggette said.

On the Posey front, agent Mark Bartelstein and the Celtics have declined to go into detail about contract terms.

The Lakers, Washington, New Orleans, Cleveland, and Orlando are among the teams expected to be interested in Posey.

An NBA source said the Celtics offered Posey a three-year, $12 million contract, but a team official denied it.

"There is a lot of interest," Bartelstein said. "We'll work through it and get to a conclusion."

An NBA source said the Celtics surprisingly worked out Blazers free agent small forward Darius Miles yesterday and he had an impressive workout. Miles missed last season while recovering from knee surgery.

Bartelstein added there was no news regarding another Celtics client, guard Eddie House.

Meanwhile, the Celtics have been taking a strong look at backup centers.

They met with Hornets free agent Chris Andersen the past two days before he returned to his offseason home in Denver.

Andersen is still drawing interest from New Orleans, as well as Golden State and Houston. The Celtics are expected to contact his agent, Steve Heumann, early next week. Andersen plans to go to Las Vegas at month's end to work out with renowned trainer Joe Abunassar, who also handles several other NBA players, including Maggette and Kevin Garnett.

The Celtics worked out Pacers free agent center David Harrison and Timberwolves free agent swingman Kirk Snyder yesterday. The 7-foot, 280-pound Harrison averaged 4.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 12.8 minutes per game last season. Snyder averaged 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists with Houston and Minnesota.

"It's a great opportunity when the world champs call you to work out," Harrison said in a telephone interview. "They see something in me. It's an honor to work out for them."

Today, Boston is scheduled to work out Golden State free agent center Patrick O'Bryant, who recently met with the Heat. The 7-foot, 260-pounder was the ninth pick in the 2006 NBA draft and averaged 1.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks in 4.1 minutes per game last season.

The Celtics' rookie free agent camp, which includes guard Gabe Pruitt, forward Glen Davis, and free agents, concludes today at the team's Waltham training facility. Former Oklahoma State forward Aaron Pettway sprained his right ankle, and it's uncertain if he'll play today.

[P2]

Wow, Maggette had some nice words regarding the Celtics. I definitely think that something is in the air. Maggette, unlike Big Cash James, is worth the full MLE for any amount of years.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Wow, Maggette had some nice words regarding the Celtics. I definitely think that something is in the air. Maggette, unlike Big Cash James, is worth the full MLE for any amount of years.

Indeed. It's not even close. People are vastly underrating Maggette. I can understand now how Paul Pierce gets underrated by the national audience.

[KevinGamble]

New article for The Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/04/rivers_gives_maggette_call/

By Marc J. Spears
Globe Staff / July 4, 2008

An NBA source said the Celtics offered Posey a three-year, $12 million contract, but a team official denied it."

 

would this be a non-Bird level contract, or would it be using the MLE?
I still want to believe we could get both!

go celts

!

[BudweiserCeltic]

New article for The Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/04/rivers_gives_maggette_call/

By Marc J. Spears
Globe Staff / July 4, 2008

An NBA source said the Celtics offered Posey a three-year, $12 million contract, but a team official denied it.
 

would this be a non-Bird level contract, or would it be using the MLE?
I still want to believe we could get both!

go celts!

I assume that it's a non-bird offer... they can reach the target with a non-bird offer if that's what you're wondering.

[wdleehi]

It would be nice if Doc's former relationship with Magette and his family helps convince him to come here.


I just think the Spurs and the chance to start will win out (unless GS or Philly come with higher then MLE offers.)